Anderson could help Manchester United solve Carrick problem

Anderson

After a frustrating start to the domestic season, things look like they’ve finally started to settle down for Manchester United. They’re undefeated in their last five games, winning their last three on the trot, including a narrow yet huge win over title rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford in the last round of games, a win that has drawn them to within five points of the table toppers.

But just when United fans finally got a reason to crack a smile, something recently came up that would no doubt have soured them once more. The club’s central midfield issues are well-documented, and have been for some time. In recent years, as the legendary Paul Scholes gradually bowed out, Michael Carrick shouldered the responsibility of commanding the midfield. And he has done a wonderful job at that, a fact that would’ve made the following words on the club’s official Twitter feed hard for fans to accept: “We can confirm that Michael Carrick will be out for four to six weeks with an Achilles injury.”

Just like that, the club’s best central midfielder is out. That leaves manager David Moyes with some crucial decisions to make regarding how he sets up his midfield in the 32-year-old’s absence. And he must get things right, with tough games against Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Everton, Newcastle United, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Aston Villa coming literally one after the other in the coming weeks.

As far as his options are concerned, he has just three players for the two spots in his 4-4-1-1 system: Marouane Fellaini, Tom Cleverley, and Ryan Giggs. Anderson is still around, but he is clearly out-of-favour, playing with the reserves and failing to even make the bench in recent games. A January exit for him looks highly likely, though Carrick’s injury represents a good opportunity for Moyes to offer him another olive branch.

Realistically, though, the Scot is likely to go with a Fellaini-Cleverley combination, with Giggs coming off the bench. The Belgian is the one who will occupy Carrick’s position deep in midfield, not as a deep-lying playmaker, but as a physical presence. It certainly won’t be the same. United don’t have a like-for-like alternative to Carrick, and will miss what he does in possession. Phil Jones agrees. “He’s a great player, he brings a lot to a side, his range of passing, so he’ll be sorely missed,” he said.

The average pass lengths of both midfielders differ by four metres. Fellaini averages just 15 metres per pass, which is a short range. It means, then, that his partner will have to do the heavy-lifting on the ball in terms of creativity, and will have to provide energy going forward. This is where Moyes has a problem, seeing that neither Cleverley nor Giggs are exactly playmakers.

Their styles are different. Cleverley likes seeing much of the ball, but isn’t penetrative–either with his passing, or in terms of getting forward. He merely helps retain possession and keeps things ticking. He doesn’t really try to take on opponents or make purposeful bursts into the box. In the eight games he has played, he has attempted only three take-on’s and a single shot, which wasn’t even on target.

Giggs, on the other hand, tries to be more penetrative, not so much with his passing, though, but in terms of taking players on and getting forward. Understandably used sparingly by Moyes, he has appeared just five times in the league, starting just twice. Yet, he has attempted five more take-ons than Cleverley and one shot more.

When played in the centre, he likes to try and get forward to beat opponents in order to open up space for himself in the attacking third. He then lays a simple pass either out to the wing or to a player positioned near the penalty area. He also tries to make runs into the box. Due to his aging legs, he tends to struggle, but one can see what he is at least trying to do.

Interestingly enough, Anderson, the player Moyes tends to leave out, is the midfielder who has the right tools to step in and make a difference. He has the energy, the vision, and the technical ability. The problem with him, however, is an ongoing lack of confidence which has resulted in an ongoing lack of form.

So, as things stand, none of the options at Moyes’ disposal will offset the loss of Carrick over the next few weeks. But with options very limited, the Scot has no choice but to call on them. United had problems in midfield with Carrick, but without him they have even more now. For a club of such great stature, it’s shameful to say the least.